smoothies: about fruit and freezing

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About Smoothies: About Fruit and Freezing

 

Recipe By :SUPER SMOOTHIES by Mary and Sara Corpening

Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Beverages & Ices

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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advice below

 

Best fruit for smoothies

Smoothies revolve around fruit. Exactly which fruit is up to you. Like

watermelon? Go ahead and add some. There are no rules. However, Sarah Corpening,

author of Smoothies (Chronicle, $15.95), shared some of her fruit favorites:

 

Bananas: “This is an all-star ingredient for smoothies. It’s sweet, so it pairs

well with tart fruit like strawberries. It has a lot of body. Frozen banana

makes for a brilliant texture.”

 

Berries: “Add good color and flavor. The thing to remember is the seeds.

Blackberries and boysenberries have bigger seeds than raspberries, blueberries

and strawberries. Some people don’t mind the seeds. I strain them from my

smoothies — I run them through a sieve.”

 

Peaches and plums: “These soft fruits freeze well and add great diversity.

People have asked if I peel them; I often do. But if you’re into extra fiber,

leave the skin on.”

 

Mangoes: “They add a creamy consistency and have great flavor. The riper they

are, the better.”

 

Apples: “They work, either frozen or fresh. Once I wanted a smoothie with a

thick milkshake texture so I froze chunks of apple, then blended a cup with

frozen vanilla yogurt, unsweetened applesauce and juice, with cinnamon and

nutmeg. It was like liquid apple pie.”

 

Melons: “They make delicious smoothies, but they are thinner. I do not freeze

melons. Freezing them creates a weird watery texture. They’re good blended with

sorbet.”

 

How to freeze fruit

The best smoothies use fresh fruit, preferably fruit in season. However, a piece

of fresh fruit such as a strawberry has a delicate texture that will collapse

under the blade of a blender.

 

“Most of the time, it’s better to freeze your fruit,” says Sarah Corpening,

author of Smoothies. “For example, if you were to use a fresh banana, you’d get

a slimy effect in your smoothie. When your fruit is frozen, it can substitute

for ice and give you a concentrated flavor. Frozen fruit creates that milkshake

texture.”

 

To freeze bananas: Peel and place whole, ripe bananas in plastic bag or

container, then freeze until ready to use. Chop into pieces before using.

 

To freeze most soft fruits: This includes peaches, plums and mangoes. Wash (or

peel if necessary, as with mangoes and most tropical fruits) and cut into

bite-size pieces or wedges. Place in plastic bag or container and freeze until

ready to use.

 

To freeze most berries: Wash, then spread out on a tray lined with a towel to

dry. If the berries are large, such as strawberries, cut into halves or

quarters. Place in plastic bag or container and freeze until ready to use.

 

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 0 Calories; 0g Fat (0.0% calories from

fat); 0g Protein; 0g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 0mg

Sodium. Exchanges: .

 

 

Nutr. Assoc. : 0